Sunday, December 27, 2015

Another Colorado Christmas

While we are able to visit KC for our
Christmas with them, it was not until January. I'll take it. I'll
take whatever time with our family I can get! But it meant another
Colorado Christmas. I'm not complaining. It was pretty wonderful.

This year it seemed we didn't quite do
as many Christmas Season “events” but we still got around to
doing some of our favorite holiday activities at home. A lot of
people do gingerread houses but we started a tradition a few years
ago decorating Christmas trees instead. We use upside down sugar
cones and green frosting, plus lots and lots of candy. It's a pretty
good small children alternative to the laborious gingerbread houses.

Of course Dash came back this year.
Only, he waited to make his appearance until we had our tree up and
decorated instead of right after Thanksgiving. He did some wacky
stuff like make a flour snow angel, hang upside down from the hallway
chandaleir and get stuck in a mason jar on a very tall shelf. And
get stuck. For THREE days!!! Poor Dash! On his last day (Christmas
Eve) he hung out on the rungs under Aaron's bed right above Ethan. I
heard Ethan singing Christmas songs to him and talking to him before
Dash flew away that night until next year.

We drove around and looked at Christmas
lights on Christmas Eve after the evening church service. I wish I
could say church was amazing but this year was a bit caotic! They
didn't have child care as they wanted families to experience the
service together. I get it. I just wasn't prepared and our kids
(along with others) were not prepared either. They were pretty wild
and a bit embarassing. Luckily there was a nursery for babies so we
didn't have to wrangle Chloe too!

John and I were up until Midnight
getting everything ready as usual. We left homemade cookies out for
Santa (which he throuroughly enjoyed!) I even caught a picture of
Santa as he was setting out gifts!

John got some great pics from his
buddies at Flight For Life as they gave Santa a lift!

Christmas morning was pretty magical.
This year Chloe was much more excited and aware of what was going on
and the boys are at a sweet innocent age which makes Christmas simply
wonderful. The boys were up and ready at 6:30 but had to wait until
7:15 when Chloe bean woke up to open anything. We had our coffee
maker set for 6:15 so armed with our own excitement and our joe we
were ready.

The kids got some little things from
Santa – a few games, stocking full of goodies and sleds. Santa
doesn't bring big gifts at our house – that's for us to spoil our
kids with! : ) Chloe bean got a baby stroller and a block set. Our
big gift to the kids this year was new bikes! All three got one
though Chloe's is a Jr. Big Wheel. The boys were excited but it
stinks because they can't fully enjoy their bikes yet. John and I
had a pretty great haul too. For some reason, this year it was way
easier to shop for eachother than for the kids! Haha.

We had biscuits and gravy and mamosas
for breakfast and a nice ham meal for dinner with a few snacks in
between. The day was spent playing with new toys, sledding, eating,
sledding some more, and enjoying each other's company. Perhaps the
best part was the beautiful white snow that came down all day long.

It was a great day and we are looking
forward to doing it all over again in Kansas City!